Julia Bontempo Photography

05/26/2026

Our May

05/26/2026

“Women can’t have it all at all seasons of their lives.”
I heard this phrase from a woman a CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world and it stuck with me. Because I think it’s true.

A woman can have a career. She can have kids.
She can have a social life, take care of her body, her mind, herself. But not all of it. Not all at once. Not at every stage.

And the reason is simple and powerful: women bring life into the world. We give birth. And when we do everything else naturally pauses for a while. I’m saying this from my own experience.

When Stefano was born, I didn’t understand that yet. Two months postpartum C-section I rushed to the gym and bought a one-year membership. I was convinced I would “get my body back” immediately. I remember spending three hours there that first day trying to prove to myself that nothing had changed, that I still had my old life, my old me. Looking back now… I laugh.

What was I thinking?
I was breastfeeding, exhausted waking up every hour at night and somehow I expected to spend three hours in the gym and still be fully present for my baby. I was trying to have it all. At the same time. And that’s not how it works. When I pushed myself like that going back to photography when my baby was just a few months old, training, being a full-time mom with no babysitter, no help, no one cooking or cleaning everything started falling apart.

So this is my message to first-time moms who are in it right now: If you’re trying to do everything and feel like you’re failing - you’re not. You simply can’t have it all, all the time. And that is okay. Because right now you are doing something more important than anything else.
Your baby needs you. Now.

Nothing is gone forever. It’s just paused.
So please don’t be harsh on yourself.
Don’t blame yourself if your body doesn’t look the way it used to.
If your house is a mess.
If you feel lost or disconnected.

This season is intense. And temporary.
We’re all in the same boat, moms.
Be kind to yourself. ❤️

05/26/2026

05/21/2026

When my maternity client’s boyfriend secretly contacted me to organize a surprise proposal during their session, I was beyond excited. It honestly felt like a dream session for me. I already love capturing maternity sessions, but combining that with a surprise proposal made it even more emotional and special. I just knew it was going to be something truly beautiful.

We got in touch beforehand, and I helped him plan everything. I explained how the session would normally flow, the logistics, the poses, and we agreed that the proposal would happen right at the end of the shoot. Everything was planned so perfectly.

And when the moment finally arrived it was pure magic. The emotions, the surprise, the happiness everything felt so genuine and beautiful. And if you look closely at the images, there was even a bird flying above my clients at that exact moment. It felt unbelievably romantic, like something straight out of a movie. Moments like this are the reason I love what I do so much.

05/19/2026

I absolutely loved the vision my client had for her maternity session. She came to me with beautiful references and a clear idea of how she wanted this special moment to feel soft, warm, natural, full of sunshine and little details. And honestly I loved bringing it to life for her.

I brought the sunflowers, the baskets, and we created a little picnic setup that felt straight out of her inspiration photos.

I truly love when my clients share their vision with me. I respect that trust so much, and I always do my best to recreate the feeling and atmosphere they dreamed of for their session.

At the same time, I also love when clients fully trust my creative vision and let me guide everything naturally. Those sessions always turn into pure magic in their own way too.